A unified framework for multicriteria evaluation of transportation projects

Transportation project selection is one of the most important planning activities encountered by a government, especially in a developing city. In this paper, we explore the potential of applying the analytic network process (ANP) to evaluate transportation projects in Ningbo, China. ANP differs from traditional hierarchical analysis tools in that it allows feedback and interdependence among various decision levels and criteria. Compared with the conventional transportation evaluation methods, our model has incorporated a much wider range of long-term and short-term factors, which are classified into benefits, opportunities, costs, and risks. Tactical and operational issues are taken into consideration. The evaluation framework is comprehensive and flexible, and shows great potential for helping decision-makers and others concerned with the transportation decision-making process.